Belleayre, NY 03/17/12

With the fat lady stepping up to the microphone this weekend, I had to get out for a few final turns on this shortened season.

Halfway up to the Catskills, Jason called and said that he and his daughter were five minutes behind me, so I was glad to have company. There was fog the entire way up, but it got really thick about five miles west of the Thruway on Route 28, to the point where in certain valleys, you could only see 50 yards ahead.

We were on the lifts by 9 am and the inversion made for a nice backdrop for most of the morning:







By 10 am, everything had softened up nicely and we charged hard until noon, when it started getting sticky in spots. Fine with us -- we transitioned to the deck for beerz.







A nice way to close out 2011-12, but it's hard to believe that we're at the end of the season on March 17. Robbed of at least three lift-served weeks! I'm sure that I won't be the only one bellyaching about that in trip reports this weekend:

Great day was had by all yesterday..

Cover looks decent. Are they done? Couldn't find it on the website...

they wouldn't make the week..

they have events scheduled next weekend, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them push some snow around to make "something" happen.

James, do you have a pass a Belle?

ml242 wrote

they have events scheduled next weekend, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them push some snow around to make "something" happen.

With this forecast, they would have to perform a magic trick to make it to next weekend.

ml242 wrote

James, do you have a pass a Belle?

No season pass at Belle -- I only skied there twice this season: the last two Saturdays.

I had zero fog at Hunter. Those shots of the fog in the valley are classics. Nice report.

JasonWx wrote

they wouldn't make the week..

Tony( superintendent of belleayre ) said he doesnt care if only one trail will be there next weekend hes opening, if you saw upper onteora next to the 7 lift it has a good base same with wanatuska

patchrick09 wrote

Tony (superintendent of belleayre) said he doesnt care if only one trail will be there next weekend hes opening

Heh, that sounds exactly like Tony, but there's going to be a big muddy bog at the bottom of Lift 7 by midweek.